Chapter 23 Parent's Day and Goodbyes
Mt. Horizon
Friday Parent's Day
Shelby and Jess are sitting in Peter's office. Sophie is there for support of the girls.
"Come on Peter, what is it?" Shelby looks from Peter to Sophie, back to Peter.
"Your mother has been in a car accident on her way here."
"Is she okay?" Jess asks fear in her voice.
"The hospital doesn't think she will make it through the night."
"NO." Jess begins to cry, Sophie goes over to comfort her.
"Sophie will drive you to the hospital." Shelby just sits with a blank stare on her face. Peter looks at her for any sign of emotion and can not find any. "I'm sorry girls."
Sophie helps Jess up at the two leave. Shelby gets up and follows them. She remains emotionless. There is a knock on Peter's door. Peter looks up to find Auggie standing in the doorway. His parents are standing behind him.
"Auggie, Mr. and Mrs. Ciceros, please come in."
"Auggie was talking about how he might be able to come home today."
"Ah yes, Auggie has improved greatly. He went from not doing his schoolwork to getting B's and A's. I am proud of you Auggie."
"Thanks Peter." Auggie smiles a huge smile.
"Do you feel you are ready to leave?"
"Yeah Peter. You've taught me that there is a better life than tagging and violence. You've also taught me that there are consequences to every action."
"Augusto's brother has moved out. We've moved out of the area as well. We are ready to bring Augusto home, but is Augusto ready Mr. Scarbrow?"
"I think he's ready. What do you think Auggie?"
"I feel ready."
"OK then. I'll get your discharge papers ready, along with your school records. You want to say your good byes now."
"Thanks for everything Peter."
Auggie goes to shake Peter's hand, but Peter pulls him into an embrace.
"Your ready Auggie. Just remember what you've learned here." Auggie and his parents leave. Peter sits down and gets out Auggie's folder. He begins to write up the paper work.
********* Hospital
Shelby and Jess are sitting in the hospital room. Their mother is laid up in bed, hooked up to machines. Jess is holding her hand and crying. Shelby is watching activities out the window. Sophie is outside with Dr. Miller.
"So we meet again." Dr. Miller pulls out some charts. "I wish it was under better circumstances."
"How is she?"
"Not doing well. She suffered some internal damage that's non-repairable." Dr. Miller pulls out a manila envelop and hands it over to Sophie. "She had a lawyer in here not to long ago. She's giving custody of Shelby and Jess to you and Peter. She doesn't want the girls to go to foster homes and be separated."
Sophie looks in at the two girls and their mother. Jess is now sitting on the hospital bed, in her mother's arms. Shelby remains staring at the window. Her mother looks at her with sad eyes.
"Shelby come here." She manages to get out. Shelby doesn't move. All of sudden the alarms go off on the machines as their mother starts to slip away. Jess looks up terrified. Nurses and orderlies come running into the room. Dr. Miller follows. Jess begins to cry even harder standing by the bed. Shelby glances over and watches as the hospital staff tries to save her mother.
"Please, take the girls out of here." Dr. Miller asks one of the nurses. The nurse goes to escort Jess and Shelby out of the room. Shelby begins to fight to stay in the room. She doesn't want to go and does everything she can to stay in the room. A male orderly goes over to help the nurse. The nurse takes Jess and the orderly carries Shelby out. The alarms continue to sound. Dr. Miller shocks the chest with no results. Shelby and Jess stand watching the door window. Sophie watches behind the two girls with tears in her eyes. Jess is crying as well. Shelby just stares off.
******** Mt. Horizon
Peter is saying good by to Auggie. Scott and Auggie shake hands.
"Good luck man."
"You two meat."
Auggie goes down the line saying his good byes to Daisy, Ezra, Peter and finally Juliette. Juliette has tears coming down her face. Auggie gently wipes one away. He then takes both of Jules's hands into his.
"Twig." Auggie chokes on his tears. "Well keep in touch, because what we've got is real."
Jules's throws her arms around Auggie and the two embrace. Auggie let's go and goes over with his parents. They get into the car. The car begins to drive down the dirt road. Auggie looks back at the Cliffhanger group. All are waving goodbye, Daisy has Jules in her arms. Auggie places his hand on the back of the window. The car disappears out of sight.
"Hey, where's Shelby?" Scott looks around. "Her mother didn't come and get her again did she?"
"She had some personal business to take care of." Peter replies walking towards his office. "She'll be back later tonight. Don't ya'll have school?" The Cliffhangers disperse and start to walk towards the lodge. "Daisy." Peter motions for her to come over. "Can you help keep an eye on Juliette? Sophie isn't here and I've got another admission coming in about an hour."
"Yeah sure." Daisy studies Peter. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's okay. Thanks for asking."
Daisy takes off towards the lodge. Peter to his office.
********
Shelby and Jess are sitting in Peter's office. Sophie is there for support of the girls.
"Come on Peter, what is it?" Shelby looks from Peter to Sophie, back to Peter.
"Your mother has been in a car accident on her way here."
"Is she okay?" Jess asks fear in her voice.
"The hospital doesn't think she will make it through the night."
"NO." Jess begins to cry, Sophie goes over to comfort her.
"Sophie will drive you to the hospital." Shelby just sits with a blank stare on her face. Peter looks at her for any sign of emotion and can not find any. "I'm sorry girls."
Sophie helps Jess up at the two leave. Shelby gets up and follows them. She remains emotionless. There is a knock on Peter's door. Peter looks up to find Auggie standing in the doorway. His parents are standing behind him.
"Auggie, Mr. and Mrs. Ciceros, please come in."
"Auggie was talking about how he might be able to come home today."
"Ah yes, Auggie has improved greatly. He went from not doing his schoolwork to getting B's and A's. I am proud of you Auggie."
"Thanks Peter." Auggie smiles a huge smile.
"Do you feel you are ready to leave?"
"Yeah Peter. You've taught me that there is a better life than tagging and violence. You've also taught me that there are consequences to every action."
"Augusto's brother has moved out. We've moved out of the area as well. We are ready to bring Augusto home, but is Augusto ready Mr. Scarbrow?"
"I think he's ready. What do you think Auggie?"
"I feel ready."
"OK then. I'll get your discharge papers ready, along with your school records. You want to say your good byes now."
"Thanks for everything Peter."
Auggie goes to shake Peter's hand, but Peter pulls him into an embrace.
"Your ready Auggie. Just remember what you've learned here." Auggie and his parents leave. Peter sits down and gets out Auggie's folder. He begins to write up the paper work.
********* Hospital
Shelby and Jess are sitting in the hospital room. Their mother is laid up in bed, hooked up to machines. Jess is holding her hand and crying. Shelby is watching activities out the window. Sophie is outside with Dr. Miller.
"So we meet again." Dr. Miller pulls out some charts. "I wish it was under better circumstances."
"How is she?"
"Not doing well. She suffered some internal damage that's non-repairable." Dr. Miller pulls out a manila envelop and hands it over to Sophie. "She had a lawyer in here not to long ago. She's giving custody of Shelby and Jess to you and Peter. She doesn't want the girls to go to foster homes and be separated."
Sophie looks in at the two girls and their mother. Jess is now sitting on the hospital bed, in her mother's arms. Shelby remains staring at the window. Her mother looks at her with sad eyes.
"Shelby come here." She manages to get out. Shelby doesn't move. All of sudden the alarms go off on the machines as their mother starts to slip away. Jess looks up terrified. Nurses and orderlies come running into the room. Dr. Miller follows. Jess begins to cry even harder standing by the bed. Shelby glances over and watches as the hospital staff tries to save her mother.
"Please, take the girls out of here." Dr. Miller asks one of the nurses. The nurse goes to escort Jess and Shelby out of the room. Shelby begins to fight to stay in the room. She doesn't want to go and does everything she can to stay in the room. A male orderly goes over to help the nurse. The nurse takes Jess and the orderly carries Shelby out. The alarms continue to sound. Dr. Miller shocks the chest with no results. Shelby and Jess stand watching the door window. Sophie watches behind the two girls with tears in her eyes. Jess is crying as well. Shelby just stares off.
******** Mt. Horizon
Peter is saying good by to Auggie. Scott and Auggie shake hands.
"Good luck man."
"You two meat."
Auggie goes down the line saying his good byes to Daisy, Ezra, Peter and finally Juliette. Juliette has tears coming down her face. Auggie gently wipes one away. He then takes both of Jules's hands into his.
"Twig." Auggie chokes on his tears. "Well keep in touch, because what we've got is real."
Jules's throws her arms around Auggie and the two embrace. Auggie let's go and goes over with his parents. They get into the car. The car begins to drive down the dirt road. Auggie looks back at the Cliffhanger group. All are waving goodbye, Daisy has Jules in her arms. Auggie places his hand on the back of the window. The car disappears out of sight.
"Hey, where's Shelby?" Scott looks around. "Her mother didn't come and get her again did she?"
"She had some personal business to take care of." Peter replies walking towards his office. "She'll be back later tonight. Don't ya'll have school?" The Cliffhangers disperse and start to walk towards the lodge. "Daisy." Peter motions for her to come over. "Can you help keep an eye on Juliette? Sophie isn't here and I've got another admission coming in about an hour."
"Yeah sure." Daisy studies Peter. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's okay. Thanks for asking."
Daisy takes off towards the lodge. Peter to his office.
********